Nationale Vrijheidspartij
The Nationale Vrijheidspartij is the governing party in Vanuku. It is a Christian Conservative party, that supports capitalism and is strongly nationalist. The party is different to many others as it's leader is not it's presidential candidate. Whilst this can cause confusion, it is meant to stop any powerful party members becoming too authoritarian. The party took control of Vanuku in 3214, after presidential candidate Andy van Heilvijk took office. The clear majority of 317 seats meant that they would be ruling party, ending the dictatorship of incumbent Cornelis van Zanten. Political activist group The Nationale Vrijheidspartij was not always a political party. Indeed, up until 3209 it was considered a pressure group. Fronted by Dirk Vijters, the movement began in 3183. As a pressure group, the Nationale Vrijheidspartij actively campaigned for a more conservative Vanuku. The activist movement was barely known up until the early 3190s, and had little over 2500 followers in the 3180s. Rallies were often poorly attended, and speakers had very little influence over public opinion or indeed the government. This all changed however in 3194, when Andy van Heilvijk became a prominent speaker for the Nationale Vrijheidspartij. His oratorical skills were second to none, and as such, the movement enjoyed a boom in popularity. Indeed, by 3196, two years after Van Heilvijk became a member, the group membership had risen to over two hundred thousand. Success felt good, and the movement attracted many new members in the following years, gaining further media coverage. One newspaper described the Nationale Vrijheidspartij as "The natural successor to the old regime". Indeed, people sat up and took note, and then party deputy Wesley Drevids proposed the group turn into a political party. However, Dirk Vijters was less keen, and decided against the Nationale Vrijheidspartij becoming a political party, despite over forty thousand members writing to him, urging him to form a political party. Under mounting pressure, Vijters became increasingly disliked as Nationale Vrijheidspartij leader. Rumours about a breakaway from the group, led by then head of the youth wing Hurst Van Der Meerden, were rife within the group, and a split became likely. Perhaps it would have happened, but for Vijters to die of a heart attack in 3199. After Vijters death, party members elected Van Der Meerden as new leader of the Nationale Vrijheidspartij. He immediately set about transforming the action group, which by now had over one million members, into political party material. He rebranded the logo, and began working with Wesley Drevids and Andy van Heilvijk to create a party manifesto. The Nationale Vrijheidspartij tried to register as a political party in 3206, however in the aftermath of the Rijkenhound disaster, the ruling fascist parties decided to ban the group from being part of mainstream politics for three years. Formation of the Nationale Vrijheidspartij The Nationale Vrijheidspartij officially became a political party in 3209, straight after their three year ban from politics ended. Holding a press conference outside the party headquarters, Andy van Heilvijk announced the formation of the party to all supporters. This was followed up by the party leader Hurst Van Der Meerden announcing the parties heirachy, including the names of the five hundred politicians who would stand for election. The formation of the party was met with contrasting views. Supporters of the Nationale Vrijheidspartij believed that it was their time to be in the spot light. The promising Van Heilvijk had talked the talk, as it were, and now his supporters believed that he could go a long way in the 3214 elections. However certain civil rights groups, including leading pressure group Hand in hand, denounced the party as "against all that Vanuku stands for". They were refering to the Nationale Vrijheidspartij manifesto, which stated that the Christian population of Vanuku should take presidence over all other minorities. The group was also critical of the manifestos anti-homosexual stance. 3214 elections The Nationale Vrijheidspartij took part in their first elections in 3214. As the only opposition to the Volk en Vrijheid, the Nationale Vrijheidspartij were expected to gain more than a few protest votes from dissilusioned fascists who had lost faith in the party. Indeed, Andy van Heilvijk, who led the campaign alongside the official party campaign manager Sylvia van Grenk, played on the fact that the Nationale Vrijheidspartij offered 'the real alternative'. In a keynote speech in Takenaken, van heilvijk promised 'real reform' in return for votes. When the elections were called, the Nationale Vrijheidspartij were confident of seats. Indeed, with all of the votes counted, they had won 26,639,562 votes (63%), giving them a huge majority. With 317 seats, the party were confident of winning the elections for Grand Chancellor. And they were right. Van Heilvijk won 64% of the votes, meaning that he was the new leader of Vanuku. In his victory speech infront of supporters in Wiel, he promised 'a real change, for the betterment of Vanuku, it's citizens and it's economy'. Despite no evidence of any interfering with the elections, incumbent Grand chancellor Cornelis Van Zanten accused Van heilvijk of fixing the election. Small, sporadic outbursts of violence broke out around the capital between supporters of Andy van Heilvijk and those of van Zanten. 3218 elections and governing coalition The party went into the 3218 elections just below the Volk en Vrijheid in the opinion polls. There was an emphasis on a continuation of the good work done by the NVP in their election campaign, and polls could not have been tighter going into the election. Andy van Heilvijk promised greater sympathy with the working class, as well as appealing to their traditional middle class voters. However it was the Volk en Vrijheid who won the elections, with the narrowest of majorities. The new chancellor Cornelis Van Zanten immediately called for a coalition cabinet, citing the closeness of the elections and 'an interest in national unity' behind the reasons to include the NVP in government. Category:Vanuku Category:Parties in Vanuku